


below the fold

by pleasereylo



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Breeding kink if you squint, Don't Like Don't Read, F/M, High School Student Rey (Star Wars), Journalism, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Possessive Behavior, Reporter Ben Solo, Rey is 17, Sharing a Bed, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, Virgin Rey (Star Wars), darker themes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-05
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-16 14:01:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29208528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pleasereylo/pseuds/pleasereylo
Summary: On a field trip to the biggest news corporation in the country, Rey accidentally runs into Ben Solo: Editor-in-chief. Asshole. Soulmate.And for reasons of which she isn’t yet aware, he wants absolutely nothing to do with her.
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 160
Kudos: 527





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Please mind the tags! Rey is 17 in this story. 
> 
> Beta'd by [Taz](https://twitter.com/Tazz224_)

[ ](https://nickpic.host/image/jCXmQ5)

“I expect you all to be on your _best_ behavior,” Ms. Holdo, Rey’s journalism teacher, lectures the class.

Her sharp eyes scan the school bus until she spots Rey seated in the very back. She pointedly locks eyes with Rey and continues, “This is a very prestigious opportunity that I had to pull a lot of favors to make happen. If one of you misbehaves, it will reflect poorly on our entire school.”

Rey scoffs— Holdo is so uptight. She always assumes Rey is going to cause trouble, which is totally unfair; Rey has only gotten kicked out of two… okay, _three_ field trips. But the last one wasn’t her fault.

Rose, Rey’s best friend, elbows her in the ribs.

“Ow!” 

“She’s talking to _you_ , Rey,” Rose whispers urgently. “Can’t you make it one day without getting in trouble? For me?”

“I haven’t the faintest idea what you’re talking about,” Rey replies, playing dumb. Holdo and Rose are _so_ dramatic; honestly, what do they think she’s going to do? Set fire to the building? Go streaking across the lobby? She’s not a child— knows how to behave herself when the situation calls for it. 

“Rey,” Rose pleads again. “I’m actually looking forward to this. If you get us kicked out of _another_ field trip, I swear...”

“Calm down, Rose. I have no evil plans to sabotage our trip.”

Rose rolls her eyes. “That’s the problem— you never _plan_ to get in trouble, and yet you somehow always do.”

Rey can’t help but chuckle at that; Rose is right, of course. Trouble seems to follow Rey wherever she goes, ever since she was a baby. Her old foster mom used to say that the phrase ‘curiosity killed the cat’ was written about Rey.

It’s not like Rey _wants_ things to go wrong— she’s been looking forward to this trip all month. Holdo somehow managed to get their class an exclusive tour inside the headquarters of one of the most well-known newspapers in the country: _The Coruscant Courier_. 

Rey’s dream has always been to be a reporter like Lois Lane. She loves everything about it: striking up conversations with random people, sneaking around places she shouldn’t be, and even doing research on potential topics.

All the trouble she’s gotten herself into has been in the name of _journalism_.

Like last year, when Rey snuck into her school’s cafeteria after hours and discovered that they were serving students expired food products. Her article exposing them earned her the award of “Aspiring Young Journalist of the Year'' by _The Chandrila Times_ — and also a 3-day suspension for trespassing. 

Or two years ago, when Rey spied on her history teacher and discovered that he was having an affair with one of his students. Of course, it was later discovered that they were soulmates, so he was never arrested— total bullshit, in Rey’s opinion. Still, he was so embarrassed he ended up resigning, anyway. Good riddance.

So, although Holdo hates her methods, she can’t deny Rey is a brilliant reporter— easily the best in the class. _Destined for greatness,_ Holdo had once told her. _If you could only learn some self-discipline._

“Promise you won’t do anything stupid?” Rose asks, pulling her from her reverie.

“I—” Rey starts, only to be cut off by Holdo, who is glaring daggers at them.

“Am I interrupting you girls?”

“Sorry, Ms. Holdo,” Rose responds immediately. Holdo sighs and shakes her head like an exhausted mother.

“Alright, then. It’s time to go.”

***

_The Coruscant Courier’s_ headquarters is unlike anything Rey has ever seen. The building is huge and made entirely of glass; a steady stream of people enter and exit the place like worker bees surrounding a hive.

Staring at the building, Rey immediately feels a sense of belonging— like this is where she’s supposed to be. The feeling only grows stronger as she and her classmates enter the lobby. It’s like there’s a string attached to her chest, pulling her inside.

A tall blonde woman named Phasma greets them at the front desk. The woman’s face is bored, lips pursed into a thin line like she would rather be anywhere else. 

“Welcome,” Phasma says, plastering on a wide smile that doesn’t reach her eyes. She hands each of Rey’s classmates a lanyard with their first name and picture on it. “Here are your visitor’s badges for the day. Let’s get this started, shall we?”

Despite Phasma’s clear disdain, Rey and her classmates can’t help but be excited. Kaydel Connix whispers animatedly to her friend, Jannah; Snap runs his hands over the sleek granite countertops; Tallie stares at the glass ceiling in wide-eyed wonder.

“This is _so cool!_ ” Rose stage-whispers.

Rey nods in agreement as they make their way through security. The whole building has an air of importance to it, as though one might achieve greatness simply by walking its halls. 

Even though Rey has always wanted to work for _The_ _Chandrila Times_ ( _Coruscant Courier’s_ biggest competitor), she thinks she wouldn’t mind working here, either. 

“Please keep up,” Phasma voices just above the room’s chatter. Rey and Rose, who had fallen behind in their amazement, scuttle forward to catch up with the rest of the group. “We don’t normally allow tours due to security reasons, but Mr. Solo decided to make an exception for you all. We have 45 minutes and not a minute more, so please try not to fall behind.”

Rey struggles to keep from rolling her eyes. _Calm down lady, this isn’t the fucking Pentagon_ , she wants to say. Holdo’s warning glare is enough to make her hold her tongue.

***

The tour, unlike the beautifully designed building, is painfully boring. Phasma drones on and on about the newspaper’s history, its expansion into radio and television, and a whole bunch of other tedious stuff Rey couldn’t care less about.

She was hoping for something more _exciting_ — like if they have any undercover reporters in the field and what they’re working on.

They’re over halfway done with the tour before Phasma finally allows a break for questions. The blonde half-turns and appraises the group with barely-concealed disdain. “Any questions so far?” 

A beat. Rey raises her hand, then speaks without being called on. “When are we going to see the news center?”

The news center is one big room in the center of the building from which most of the reporters work. A couple of Rey’s classmates nod eagerly— if anything exciting were to happen, it would happen there. 

“We’re headed there now,” Phasma sighs. She leads them up a grand staircase where they’re met by a glass wall that overlooks a large, circular room. The whole class rushes forward and presses their noses to the glass, eyes wide. Below them is the newsroom.

The room is teeming with sound and movement— so much so that Rey’s eyes aren’t sure where to land. Two dozen TVs line the walls, playing live coverage of the news; reporters and assistants weave around each other in a harried sort of dance; a hundred different computer monitors blink back at her like Christmas lights.

It’s _exhilarating._

In the center of the chaos is a man whom everyone seems to revolve around like planets orbiting the sun. His voice is deep and booming as he directs people with a confidence that clearly indicates he’s in charge. 

Even his appearance exudes authority— he’s tall with broad shoulders, an immaculately tailored suit, and perfectly styled black hair. His presence is so domineering that even _Rey_ feels the effects of his gravitational pull, wanting to be nearer to him. 

A red-haired man approaches him and they engage in some sort of heated discussion, but Rey can’t make out what they’re saying through the thick glass barrier. She unconsciously takes a step forward, trying to hear what they’re arguing about. 

As soon as she moves, the dark-haired man’s eyes snap to hers as if she had called his name. His gaze darkens as he scrutinizes her, completely ignoring the red-haired man to whom he had been talking with.

“Who is that?” Rey whispers to Rose, pointing to the man in question. His eyes still haven’t left hers, staring at her like he’s trying to solve a puzzle.

“Oh my god, it’s _Ben Solo!_ ” Rose whispers back.

Rey recognizes the name, of course— everyone in the world of journalism has heard of Ben Solo. He’s famous for going undercover at First Order Industries and exposing their sex trafficking ring— a story which earned him a Pulitzer Prize. But that doesn’t explain why he’s looking at her like she has a second head.

Rose’s eyes flit back and forth between Rey and Ben rapidly. “Do you know him or something?”

“No…” Rey narrows her eyes and glares right back at Ben, jutting her chin out as if to say ‘what’s your problem.’ She can’t fathom what she could have done to get on his bad side— they’ve never even met. 

His gaze grows more intense the longer they stare at each other; the red-haired man beside Ben waves an annoyed hand in front of his face, which Ben ignores. Another woman approaches him and he rudely waves her off, never breaking eye contact with Rey.

Suddenly, recognition flashes across his features and his eyes widen to the size of saucers. He almost looks… scared.

Ben briefly glances at the red-haired man, then back to Rey. While the redhead isn’t looking, he mouths one word, directed right at her: _Don’t._

Before she has time to react, Holdo loudly clears her throat.

“Rey,” she scolds. “Please pay attention or you’ll be left behind.”

Rey turns around to see that her entire class has already moved on to another room further down the hall, leaving Rey and Rose behind. 

“It wasn’t my fault, Ms. Holdo!” Rey protests. She tries to point a finger at Ben, but he’s not standing there anymore. Her eyes desperately scan the news center, but she can’t find him or the redhead anywhere— where the hell did they go? 

Holdo huffs impatiently and ushers the girls down the hall. “Remember what I said this morning, Rey, I have zero tolerance for your shenanigans today. Understood?”

“Yes, Ms. Holdo,” Rey sighs, reluctantly falling into step beside her teacher. Despite Holdo’s strict nature, Rey views her as a mother-figure of sorts and doesn’t want to disappoint her. 

But Solo’s panicked gaze haunts her with every step away from the newsroom. _What was he trying to tell her?_

  
  


***

The rest of the tour is relatively uneventful, though the longer they walk around, the worse Rey begins to feel. It starts with an aching in her chest and then her stomach— she thinks she might be coming down with something.

And yet, she still can’t stop thinking about Ben Solo. Every time she closes her eyes, his face is all she sees; his dark eyes and plush lips as he slowly mouthed the word “ _don’t_.”

She needs to find him and figure out what he was trying to tell her. 

By the time her class finally makes it back to the lobby, Rey has already concocted a plan to find Ben again. It’s admittedly not one of her better schemes, but with every aching lurch of her heart, she grows more determined. Her very blood seems to sing ‘ _find him. find him. find him.’_

“... And that concludes our journey,” Phasma announces, sounding glad to be rid of the class. “Bathrooms and drinking fountains are on the right. When you’re finished, please return your visitor’s badge to the receptionist’s desk.”

“I want everyone on the bus in 10 minutes,” Holdo adds. The class mumbles their thanks to Phasma, hands in their visitor’s badges, then heads to the bus or the bathrooms.

Phasma glances at her wristwatch and taps her foot impatiently— she probably can’t return to work until they all leave.

Ignoring the ache in her chest, Rey strides toward Phasma.

However, before she can make it to the tall woman, Rose blocks her path. “What are you doing, Rey?”

“I just need to ask Phasma something,” Rey assures her with false confidence. 

“ _Rey,_ ” Rose pleads, “I recognize that look in your eyes. Whatever you’re about to do, _don’t_. Graduation is only a few months away. Holdo will kill you.”

“It’s fine, Rose. Don’t worry about it.”

Rey continues to approach Phasma, leaving Rose huffing in frustration behind her. She does feel a little bad— she promised Rose she wasn’t going to get into any trouble— but she also feels like if she doesn’t find Ben she might die. The ache in her chest is getting worse, and now she’s starting to sweat a little.

“Excuse me, Ms. Phasma?” Rey asks, trying her best to sound as innocent as possible. She can feel Rose’s eyes burning a hole in the back of her head. 

“Yes?” 

Rey wipes the sweat from her brow. “I think I accidentally forgot my bag upstairs, may I run and grab it? I’ll be fast, I promise.” 

Phasma scoffs. “No, absolutely not. I’m late for a meeting so I can’t escort you, and we don’t allow unauthorized visitors—”

“I’ll go with her,” Holdo interrupts, materializing beside Rey. “I’ll make sure she doesn’t get into any trouble.”

 _Shit._ That was not part of the plan. “It’s okay, I can make it on my own—”

“I insist,” Holdo replies shortly, leaving no room for argument. She must be able to sense that Rey is planning something— the woman practically has a sixth sense for it. Rey does her best to smile like she doesn’t care.

“I suppose if you accompany her…” Phasma looks down at her watch anxiously. “I really do need to go. Please leave right after retrieving her bag.”

“Of course,” Holdo nods, wrapping one of her long arms around Rey’s shoulders. To anyone else it might look like a friendly gesture, but Holdo’s grip is way too tight to be friendly. Rey grimaces.

As soon as Phasma scurries off to her meeting, Holdo rounds her all-knowing eyes on Rey. “Rey Niima, you had better not be pulling one of your little stunts again—”

“I-I’m not,” Rey stutters, doubling over as a stomach cramp wracks her body. Her mystery illness seems to be accelerating rapidly— sweat trickles down her back and now her head is pounding in addition to her chest. 

Holdo’s eyes widen, seeming to take in Rey’s state of distress for the first time. Motherly concern washes across her features. “Are you okay, sweetie? You look like you’re about to be sick.” She places a hand against Rey’s forehead and gasps. “You’re burning up, Rey.”

“I-I’m fine. I just really need to get upstairs, like, now.”

“...Okay,” Holdo cautiously agrees. “I’ll be right behind you.”

Finally given the green light, Rey walks up the stairs as quickly as she can without drawing attention to herself. People still stare because she probably looks terrible, but that’s the least of her concerns.

A thought that has been festering in the back of Rey’s mind since she made eye contact with Ben keeps making its way to the forefront: the aching in her chest, the cramps, the headache… It’s all supposedly a symptom of meeting your soulmate. 

The same thing happened to two of her friends, Finn and Poe, when they first met. If a soulmate pair locks eyes but never physically touches, both people will get sick indefinitely; it only ends when they finally touch and receive their soulmark.

But there’s no way that Ben Solo is her soulmate— he must be at least a decade older than her. 

Besides, Rey doesn’t have time for a soulmate. She needs to focus on graduation and getting ready for college and becoming a professional reporter. If Ben was her soulmate, he’d probably force her to get married and have kids right away like so many soulmates do. _No thank you._

“Do you know where you’re going Rey?” Holdo cuts in, interrupting Rey’s thoughts.

“Uh... yeah,” Rey responds, sounding uncertain even to her own ears. She doesn’t know _exactly_ where she’s going, but it doesn’t matter— the ache in her chest seems to be tugging her in the right direction. Holdo sighs, but continues to follow Rey through the building.

They turn left, then right, then left again. They walk through an empty conference room, then up another flight of stairs. The longer it takes, the more Rey starts to panic; she picks up the pace until she’s almost running through the halls while Holdo struggles to keep up.

The hallways thin out as she makes her way through the lesser-populated areas of the building. 

Finally, Rey turns a corner and runs face-first into a brick wall— except it’s not a brick wall, but a very large, very wide man wearing a designer suit. 

The man grunts and automatically grabs Rey by the upper arm to steady her. 

Two things happen at once: first, the aching in Rey’s chest disappears like it was never there. She no longer feels sick. And second— a sharp, burning pain sears through her right arm like it’s on fire.

Ben rips his hand away from her as quickly as he can, but it’s too late.

Her entire right arm is covered in thin, dark red lines that travel from her collarbone all the way down to the tips of her fingers. 

_Their soulmark._

“ _Fuck._ ” 


	2. good little girl

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta’d by [Taz](https://twitter.com/Tazz224_)

Every couple’s soulmark is different. 

Finn and Poe’s mark is an orange-and-green twist that swirls up both of their calves like a candy cane. 

Rose’s parents have matching blue-and-white soulmarks on their shoulders that resemble clouds. 

Holdo and her partner have yellow-and-pink polka dots covering their knees. 

Each soulmark is supposed to be a direct reflection of that couple’s relationship— two separate pieces coming together to form a whole picture. So, the fact that Rey’s soulmark looks like some sort of rare disease infecting her bloodstream is more than a little concerning. 

“What the fuck,” Rey whispers, examining her arm more closely. 

The mark begins at her collarbone with a single red line, then, as it travels down her arm it branches off into different directions like lightning. She keeps flipping her arm upside-down and right-side up, hoping on each turn that the mark will have magically disappeared.

“No, no, no,” Ben mutters under his breath. Rey glances up for the first time since they touched and sees that Ben has removed his suit jacket and rolled up the sleeve on his left arm. His forearm and fingers, like hers, are covered in thin, branching lines; however, unlike Rey’s  _ red _ lines, Ben’s lines are black. 

That is something Rey has never seen before— soulmates usually have completely identical marks.

Ben’s horrified eyes flicker up and meet Rey’s. Unsure how to respond, she gives him an awkward half-smile.

“You’re not going to, like, force me to marry you, are you?” Rey chuckles dryly. Ben just stares at her and blinks. Once. Twice. Three times. Not even a hint of a smile crosses his petrified expression. 

_ Tough crowd. _

“What’s going on here,” Holdo pants as she stalks toward them, having finally caught up with Rey. 

The sight of Holdo seems to kick Ben out of his stupor; he swiftly rolls down the sleeve of his dress shirt, hiding his soulmark from view except for a single black line that stretches to the tip of his large middle finger. 

“Aunt Amilyn, I need you to get her out of here,” Ben commands, gesturing at Rey.

“ _ Aunt _ Amilyn?” Rey asks. They both ignore her. 

“Ben, tell me you two didn’t—” Holdo gasps. 

“We did.” Ben’s voice is sharp, cutting through Rey like a knife. 

“What’s going on? Is something wrong?” she asks, panicking at their reactions. Ben scans the empty hallway like he’s expecting someone to jump out of the vents and attack.

Satisfied that no one is nearby, Ben once again ignores Rey and returns his attention to Holdo. “Get her out of here before someone sees.”

“Maybe we should—”

“ _ Now _ ,” he hisses.

Rey’s eyes flicker between Ben and Holdo. They seem to be having some sort of silent conversation— about what, Rey has no clue. She’s never been more confused in her life; why won’t they answer her questions? Why does she feel like she’s done something wrong?

However, one look at the expression on Holdo’s face makes any questions die on Rey’s lips. Holdo’s usually stern features are marred by fear— real, genuine fear. Rey’s stomach sinks all the way to the floor.

Ben and Holdo must come to some sort of agreement, because they both nod tersely.

“Come on, dear,” Holdo says, wrapping a protective arm around Rey. “Stay close to me.”

“Wait,” Ben says. He acknowledges Rey for the first time since they matched, dark eyes boring into hers. “Take my jacket. It will cover up the… you know,” he grimaces. 

Before she can respond, Ben gently lays his large jacket over her shoulders. Rey slips her arms through the sleeves, which are so long they trail past her fingertips. The fabric smells slightly of smoke and used books. She shivers.

Ben swallows thickly, making his Adam’s apple bob. His expression is pained as he gives her one last parting glance.

“I’m sorry.”

  
  


***

On the tense bus ride home from  _ The Coruscant Courier _ , Holdo told Rey that Ben would explain everything later. She said it would all make sense eventually, and that Rey just had to be  _ patient _ .

So, Rey goes about the rest of her week like normal. She wears a long sleeve t-shirt to hide her soulmark; the single red line that trails to her middle finger she covers up with makeup; per Holdo’s request, she tells no one what happened, not even Rose. 

She goes to school, does her homework, and goes to bed. Rinse and repeat. 

However, with each passing day that she receives no new information, Rey grows increasingly frustrated. Is Ben so busy he can’t be bothered with a simple phone call? Or has he forgotten that they’re _ soulmates?  _

Though Rey doesn’t necessarily want a soulmate, she’s at least willing to get to know him first. They’re bonded for life, whether they like it or not.

Finally, after four days of complete radio silence from both Ben and Holdo, Rey decides to take matters into her own hands. During her lunch period on Friday, she drags Rose with her to the school’s computer lab to do some research on Ben. 

All she knows about him so far is that he received a Pulitzer Prize for going undercover at First Order Industries. She doesn’t know his age or where he went to school or who his parents are. 

“Remind me what we’re doing here again?” Rose asks as they log in to their computers. 

“I wanted to get a head start on our Spanish project,” Rey replies smoothly. 

“ _ You, _ getting a head start on  _ homework _ ?”

“I’m turning over a new leaf, Rose. ‘New year, new me,’ and all that.” 

“It’s March.”

“... Close enough.” 

Rose rolls her eyes. “Whatever, just make it quick. I want to stop by the soccer fields before lunch is over to watch Finn and Poe practice.”

“You got it.”

Rey subtly turns her computer screen away from Rose and Googles “Ben Solo.” (Gotta start somewhere, right?) She clicks on his Wikipedia page and quickly skims the article. 

For someone who has won a Pulitzer Prize, there is surprisingly little known about him. Ben is apparently 29, was born in Chandrila, and has worked at  _ The Coruscant Courier  _ for two years. The article offers no information on what he did before working at the  _ Courier _ , which seems suspicious to Rey. 

How does someone go from virtually nonexistent to the editor-in-chief of one of the biggest newspapers in the country overnight?

Rey clicks on the ‘personal life’ section of his Wikipedia page, which basically repeats what was written in the summary. 

It contains exactly two sentences: Ben Solo was born in Hanna City, Chandrila in 1992 to Leia Organa and Han Solo. After winning a 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Journalism, he was hired as editor-in-chief at  _ The Coruscant Courier _ .

The name  _ Leia Organa _ rings a bell, so Rey clicks on the hyperlink connected to Leia’s name. Her eyes widen when she sees that Leia is the former senator of Coruscant who went missing in 2018.  _ Holy shit. _

Nobody ever knew what happened to the older woman, but there were rumors it had something to do with her son,  _ Ben Solo _ . 

What if he did something to his mom? What if her soulmate is a  _ murderer _ ? 

Rey strikes that thought down immediately. Ben may have seemed irritated when they first met, but she didn’t get the sense that he was a bad person— and Rey thinks herself to be a pretty decent judge of character. 

Still, something is definitely wrong and she needs answers. She needs to talk to  _ Ben _ . 

_ Why am I just sitting around waiting for him?  _ Rey thinks, an idea already starting to take shape in her head.  _ I know exactly where he works. I can just go and find him. _

A wicked grin spreads across her face. Yes, if he refuses to come to her, then she’ll just have to go to him. And she’ll have to do it  _ today _ ; his office is closed over the weekend and she doesn’t want to wait until Monday. 

Rey begins to work out the details of how exactly she’ll be able to pull this off when Rose interrupts her train of thought.

“Hello? Are you even listening to me?” Rose asks. 

Rey startles— she had completely forgotten that her best friend was still sitting beside her. She smiles apologetically. “Sorry, Rose, I totally spaced. What did you say?”

“I  _ said _ , we should probably head to the soccer fields now. We can finish our Spanish projects at my house after school if you want,” Rose suggests, packing up her backpack. 

“Ah, sorry Rose, I can’t,” Rey lies. “Plutt needs me to help out at the shop after school.”

Rose frowns. “Look, I know you’re hiding something from me— you’ve been distracted ever since our field trip on Monday. Just spill it already. You  _ know _ I’ll help you hide the metaphorical body.”

“Or physical?”

“ _ Rey, _ ” Rose chides.

Rey sighs and nervously glances around the empty computer room to make sure no one is listening. Biting her lip, she concedes, “Okay, you’re right, I am hiding something. Honestly, I'm not even sure what that something  _ is  _ yet, but I plan to find out after school today.”

“Oh my god, you’re pregnant.”

“Rose!” Rey exclaims, laughing. “I am most definitely  _ not  _ pregnant. I would need to, you know,  _ have sex  _ first.”

“Then what is it?” Rose pleads. 

“I’ll tell you later tonight, so long as everything goes according to plan.”

“And if it  _ doesn’t  _ go according to plan?”

“Avenge my murder,” Rey winks.

  
  


***

Breaking into the  _ The Coruscant Courier _ turns out to be a lot easier than Rey had anticipated.

When she went back to her apartment after school to change, she discovered that Ben had accidentally left his security clearance card in the pocket of his suit jacket. So, all Rey had to do was find the back entrance, scan his card, and sneak in when no one was looking. 

It was almost  _ too _ easy.

The tricky part came after she made it inside. 

Because, no matter how much makeup she puts on or what clothes she wears, Rey still  _ looks _ like a scrawny high school girl. And that earns her some weird stares as she walks through the halls of the  _ Courier _ .

Rey smiles and tries to act as nonchalant as possible. The key is  _ confidence _ — as long as she looks like she knows what she’s doing, no one will stop her. And it works. Until she’s stopped by a mean-looking woman with shiny, long black hair.

“Can I help you?” The woman asks, standing directly in front of Rey and blocking her path. Her name tag reads ‘Bazine.’

“Actually, you can,” Rey beams. She recites the story she had practiced on her Uber ride over, the lies rolling off her tongue with ease. “I’m here visiting my Aunt Phasma, but I seem to have lost her. Can you point me in the direction of her office?”

The woman, Bazine, narrows her eyes at Rey. “Phasma didn’t say she had family coming to visit…”

“I wanted it to be a surprise; my birthday is tomorrow,” Rey explains. Bazine still doesn’t look convinced, so Rey adds, “You can come with me and talk to her yourself, if you want. But I know she was eager to get out of here because it’s almost five.”

At the mention of the time, Bazine checks her watch. Her eyes flicker between Rey and the elevator, debating whether she wants to waste precious weekend time dealing with some random kid. 

Finally, Bazine sighs, “I don’t get paid enough for this. Phasma’s office is upstairs, third door on the right.”

Rey nods and hurries down the hall before Bazine can change her mind. Luckily, nobody else stops her. It’s ten minutes until five. 

She worries for a moment that Ben might have already left, but when she closes her eyes she can sense that he’s still in the building.

It’s one of the weird side effects of having a soulmate bond— she can  _ feel _ when he’s nearby. It’s not an exact science, of course, but the closer Rey gets to him, the lighter she feels— like a weight is being lifted from her shoulders that she didn’t know was there.

She vaguely remembers the location of his office from the tour on Monday. And, sure enough, right at the top of the stairs is a door with a nameplate that reads ‘Ben Solo, Editor-in-Chief.’ 

Glancing left and right to make sure no one sees her, Rey cracks the door open and slides into the room.

The first thing she notices when she enters Ben’s office is that it smells faintly of coffee. Then, as she takes in the spacious room, she’s surprised to find it’s fairly sparse. 

In the center of the room is a large mahogany desk with two empty chairs on either side. To the right, he has a floor-to-ceiling bookcase, and to the left he has a two-foot tall house plant. The only personal item she can see is a framed copy of his Bachelor’s diploma.

There’s no Ben in sight.

Rey had expected him to be in his office when she arrived. Now that he’s not here, she’s not quite sure what to do— sit around and wait for him? Go looking for him? 

_ Might as well find out as much as I can while he’s not here, _ Rey thinks. 

With a shrug, she examines the papers that are piled neatly on top of his desk. It mostly looks like rough drafts, memos, and articles that need to be edited— nothing stands out as particularly suspicious or important. 

Not one to be deterred, Rey snoops through the drawers of his desk next. Briefly, she wonders if this might be an invasion of his privacy, but then she decides that she doesn’t care. She just wants to make sure her soulmate isn’t a serial killer or something. That’s all. 

The top drawer of his desk mostly contains pens, staples, and paper clips. Not helpful. The middle drawer has headphones, a voice recorder, and a pack of cigarettes. 

_ So that’s why his jacket smells like smoke, _ Rey thinks offhandedly. 

Finally, taped to the top of the last drawer, Rey discovers a letter. Though the paper looks new, the creases in it are worn like someone has unfolded and refolded it several times. Rey sits down in Ben’s chair and carefully opens it. 

In a neat, cursive scrawl, the first line of the letter reads: 

> _ Tell me about her _ .

Rey’s heart pounds loudly in her chest. It looks like some kind of note passed between two people. Her eyes jump down to the second person’s handwriting, and she immediately recognizes Holdo’s messy penmanship. They’re talking about  _ her, _ she just knows it.

In response to Ben’s statement, Holdo writes:

> _ She is a troublemaker, always sticking her nose somewhere it doesn't belong. She's irreverent and stubborn and ill-mannered— but she's also one of my best and brightest students. She is unfailingly kind and will always stand up for what's right, no matter the consequences. _
> 
> _ In my 25 years of teaching, she is easily one of the best students I’ve ever had— perhaps even better than you. _

Rey pauses— this letter is already good for two things. One, it’s nice to see that Holdo really does like Rey, despite their arguments. And two, it solves the mystery of how Ben and Holdo know each other; she must’ve been his teacher when he was in high school, just like Rey.

The letter continues with another question from Ben: __

> _ Do you think she’ll ever forgive me? _

Rey’s heart stops beating altogether. Forgive him? For what?

Before she can read Holdo’s response, Rey hears footsteps echoing down the hallway. She quickly shoves the paper into her back pocket for later, a million questions swirling around her head. 

Why would Ben ask Holdo about her? Why wouldn’t he just talk to her himself? What did he do that needs to be forgiven?

As his thundering footsteps draw nearer, Rey determinedly kicks her feet up on Ben’s desk. She’s not leaving until she gets some answers. 

The door swings open and they immediately lock eyes. His jaw drops, eyebrows raised. 

“About time,” Rey grins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be from Ben’s POV!
> 
> Thank you all for your kudos and comments, they are much appreciated :)


	3. always picking a fight with me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta’d by [Taz](https://twitter.com/Tazz224_)

**_Ben_ **

Ben Solo is in a foul mood. 

For starters, he accidentally knocked over the mug on his desk this morning, and now his whole office reeks of black coffee. Then, when he was editing an article on Microsoft Word, the app crashed on him, losing all of his progress. And to top it all off, he thinks Hux _knows_. 

About Rey. His soulmate. 

Hux hasn’t _said_ anything, per se, but he’s been breathing down Ben’s neck all week. 

Normally Ben can tolerate the redhead’s scrutiny, but ever since Monday he’s been unbearable _._ Hux has been following him to all of his meetings, the break room, and even the _bathroom_. Of course, Hux claims it’s all a coincidence, but Ben knows better. 

So, after his last meeting of the day on Friday, he isn’t at all surprised when Hux approaches him.

“Sir?” Hux asks. 

Ben pinches the bridge of his nose, not even attempting to hide his irritation. “Yes?”

“Before you leave for the day, I was hoping I could go over my latest story idea with you.”

“Can’t this wait until Monday? It’s already,” Ben glances down at his watch, “Five minutes to five. Everyone else has cleared out for the weekend.”

“It will only take a minute, I assure you.”

“Make it quick,” Ben huffs. 

“Of course. I’ll meet you at your office— I need to grab my laptop.”

Ben nods tersely and they both head their separate ways. As he’s walking back to his office, he loosens his tie, an action that is made slightly more difficult by the leather gloves on his hands. Ben would like nothing more than to remove the offending items, but he can’t risk anyone seeing his soulmark— _especially_ Hux. 

Sighing, Ben opens the door to his office and immediately freezes. 

There, sitting in his chair with her feet propped up on his desk, is _Rey._ His soulmate. The girl he’s been trying to keep away from _this very place_.

“About time,” Rey grins.

Ben stands in stunned silence for several seconds, trying to process this turn of events. Once his mind finally catches up with his body, he slams the door shut, locks it, and rushes to Rey in a panic. 

“What the hell are you doing here? You need to leave _now_ before Hux gets here—”

“I’m not leaving until I get some answers,” Rey replies calmy. She kicks her feet down from his desk and juts her chin out defiantly. 

“I’m serious. How did you even get in here—” Ben stops himself short when, for the first time since he entered the room, he notices Rey’s outfit. His eyes widen in disbelief. “Are you _wearing my jacket?_ ”

Rey is most definitely wearing his jacket. The sleeves are far too long on her, trailing past her knuckles, but she’s added a fashionable belt around the middle to accentuate her waist. Though the outfit isn’t necessarily sexy or revealing, Ben can’t deny that seeing Rey in his clothes fills him with a possessive sort of pride.

Which is completely ridiculous. She’s not his lover or his girlfriend or even his _friend_ ; he has no reason to be possessive. _And yet._

The girl shrugs. “Yeah, so what? I couldn’t find my good blazer and this was the only other thing that matched.”

Ben silently works his jaw, debating what to say. He elects to change the subject instead.

“You didn’t answer my question. How did you get in here?”

She digs into her pocket and proudly presents his security clearance card. Ben curses under his breath— he must’ve left it in his jacket pocket. If he’s being honest with himself, he didn’t even know it was missing. Everyone around here knows him, so he hardly needs the damned thing. 

Rey smirks. “You really should be more careful to whom you loan your jackets. Imagine if this had fallen into the wrong hands.”

“I don’t need to imagine _._ ” He snatches the card out of her hand and shoves it into his back pocket.

A knock sounds at the door, interrupting their conversation. Ben’s heart stills in his chest; he doesn’t dare move or make a sound. It can only be Hux.

“Solo?” Hux yells through the door. The doorknob jiggles as the redhead tries to open it; thank god Ben remembered to lock it.

Lowering his voice so that it’s barely audible, Ben hisses, “Get under my desk.”

“A bit presumptuous, don’t you think?” Rey quips. Ben nearly chokes on his spit.

“That’s not what I meant—” 

Hux knocks again. 

Now they’re _really_ out of time. Ben musters up the sternest, most commanding voice he can. “ _Now,_ Rey.”

She rolls her eyes but follows his instructions anyway, curling up underneath his large desk. Once she’s safely out of sight, Ben brushes his hair out of his face, takes a calming breath, and opens the door.

“Sir,” Hux nods in greeting as soon as the door opens. “Is someone else in here? I thought I heard voices.” 

“Of course not. Unlike _you,_ every other person in this place doesn’t want to stay after hours,” Ben retorts. He fiddles with his tie. “Speaking of, there’s been a change of plans. I’m extremely tired and want to go home. Type up your proposal, email it to me, and I’ll get back to you on Monday.”

Although, now that Ben thinks of it, he’s not nearly as tired as he was earlier today. In fact, he feels the best he has since Monday. They say that being near your soulmate is supposed to have that effect, but he never actually believed it was true until now.

Hux subtly tries to peer around Ben’s hulking form in the doorway to see if anyone else is in the room. Ben inhales slightly, puffing up his chest to take up even more room.

“But sir, it will really only take a moment—”

“ _Go home,_ Hux,” Ben says with finality. 

The redhead looks like he wants to argue, but then his phone buzzes with a text message. He briefly glances at his screen, then does a swift double-take. When he reads the message, his whole demeanor shifts; he takes a deep breath and smiles pleasantly.

“Of course, sir. I completely understand. Have a wonderful weekend.” 

“... Sure. You too,” Ben cautiously replies.

Hux nods, then turns around and leaves. 

His sudden change in behavior sends a shiver down Ben’s spine— something definitely isn’t right. What could have possibly made him go from angry to cool and collected in a matter of seconds? 

But Ben shakes that thought from his head— he doesn’t have time to dwell on Hux. Right now, he needs to focus on the delinquent that’s hiding underneath his desk.

(Begrudgingly, he must admit that he’s somewhat impressed she was able to make it up here without getting caught. But that’s beside the point.)

As soon as he shuts the door, Rey crawls out from underneath his desk and sits on top of it like she owns the place. Some of his work papers crinkle underneath her thighs. 

She breathes a melodramatic sigh of relief. “Phew, now that _that’s_ over. I want answers.”

Ben squeezes his eyes shut, trying to keep his emotions in check. Her reckless actions almost got them both caught just now, and she doesn’t even realize it. 

“You should have waited for me to come to you, Rey— this was foolish and dangerous,” Ben scolds, feeling very much like a parent lecturing a child. “I told you I would explain everything later, didn’t I?”

Rey's face flushes in anger. “No, you told _Holdo_ you would explain later. Until today, you’ve barely said two words to me.”

Ben grimaces. He supposes she has a point— if he was left totally in the dark like she was, he would have done anything to get more information. He can’t fault her for that.

Ben thinks back to their unfortunate first meeting and knows he could've handled things better.

It's just that, after 29 years of being alone, he never thought he would find his soulmate. He thought maybe she had died as a kid or maybe… maybe there just wasn’t anyone _for_ him. Maybe this was the universe’s way of punishing him for the things he’s done. 

Of course, when he finally _did_ find her— or, more accurately, when _she_ found _him_ — it couldn’t have been at a worse time. Snoke is still on the loose, Hux is breathing down his neck, and his mom is still… missing.

With everything going on, Ben still hasn’t quite wrapped his head around it: _soulmate._ He has someone who is just for him, and he is hers. He feels his heart soften at the thought, just a little. 

Under different circumstances, he would be ecstatic.

But that’s just not his reality anymore.

“I’m doing this to protect you,” Ben whispers earnestly. He locks eyes with Rey, willing her to see the sincerity in his statement. Even though he’s hardly spoken to her, he feels like he knows her— both from what Holdo told him in her letter, and also from what he’s observed. 

She’s persistent and ambitious and knows what she wants. She has her whole life ahead of her; if something were to happen to her because of him, he would never forgive himself. 

Rey shakes her head, breaking their prolonged eye contact. 

"Bullshit,” she curses. “Look, I can handle myself. Whatever it is, just _tell me_."

Ben bites his lip. She’s right— he knows he has to tell her. But he doesn’t want to. Not yet. To buy himself some more time, he begins absentmindedly packing up his bag for the day. Rey impatiently taps her fingers on his desk. 

After a minute or so of deliberation, Ben decides to just rip the bandaid off and tell her everything. He only hopes she won’t be too upset with him.

“Look, I—” Ben starts, only to be interrupted by the sound of footsteps in the hallway. He stiffens, holding his breath until the footsteps fade away. “Can we have this conversation later? Someone might hear us.”

“I’m not leaving until you tell me what’s going on.”

He can tell by the determined look on her face that she’s completely serious; she will not budge until he gives her some sort of explanation. Ben nods slowly. “Okay, I will. I promise. Just not here."

Rey narrows her eyes at him, trying to suss out if he’s telling the truth or not. He gives her an awkward smile as a sign of good faith. She must like what she sees, because she cautiously agrees, "....Fine. But don't try to pull a fast one over on me— once I set my mind to something, I don't give up."

"So I've noticed,” Ben mutters. Then, louder, “Can you please get off my desk? You’re sitting on my work for the weekend.”

Rather than get up, Rey lifts her hips up _just enough_ for him to grab the papers. He plucks them out from underneath her quickly, trying not to think about where they just were, and shoots her a deathly glare. She snickers. 

After he shoves the papers into his bag, he opens up the bottom drawer of his desk to grab the letter Amilyn wrote him. He doesn’t want to risk someone sneaking into his office and finding it while he’s gone. 

Except when Ben reaches into the drawer, the letter isn’t there. His eyebrows furrow— he _knows_ he left in this drawer, taped to the top. There’s nowhere else it could be. Just in case, he searches his whole desk twice over, but he comes up empty each time. It’s gone. 

Just when he’s about to start panicking, he spies Rey shifting slightly on top of his desk. He fixes his gaze on her, looking her up and down suspiciously. Though she gives no outward indication of guilt, he can practically feel it rolling off of her in waves.

“Is there something you’d like to tell me, Rey?”

“Not particularly, no.” She hops off his desk and innocently skips toward the door. “Were we ever going to get out of here, or do you need another 20 minutes to finish packing up?”

Ben clenches his fists. Point-blank, he asks, “Were you snooping through my stuff?”

She chews on her lip for a moment before answering, “No. Maybe. Can you blame me?”

“Where is it?” He scowls— should’ve burned the fucking letter when he had the chance. 

Rey’s lips downturn slightly, guilt finally dancing across her features. She reaches into her back pocket and hands Ben the letter that she stole. It’s the one he got from Amilyn on Wednesday— the one he’s read and re-read over a dozen times since then. He quickly grabs it from her. 

“Did you read it?”

“Not all of it. You interrupted me before I got very far.” 

Ben takes a few measured breaths. “How far?”

“Does it matter?”

“Yes.” He doesn’t elaborate, which he can tell annoys Rey. Too bad. She presses her lips together and eyes him shrewdly. 

In lieu of answering, she questions, “What do you need to be _forgiven for,_ Solo?”

Ben breathes a sigh of relief— if that’s as far as she’s gotten, then he’s in the clear. For now. He subtly wipes his clammy hands on the fabric of his pants. 

“I’ll explain once we get out of here. Security is going to lock the building up soon, so we should get going.”

“And where exactly are we going?”

As Ben ponders where to take her, his stomach growls, giving him an idea. “We can go to this diner I know in the next town over. It’ll be safe there. Plus, I’m hungry.”

Rey smirks. “Is this, like, a _date?_ ”

Ben pointedly ignores her and instead checks the hallway for any straggling employees or listening ears. When he finds it empty, he motions for Rey to follow him. 

“Let’s go,” he grumbles. 

_Fucking delinquent._

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Date night anyone? 🥰
> 
> Follow me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/pleasereylo)


	4. you know that I'm bad

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta’d by [Taz](https://twitter.com/Tazz224_)

Ben takes Rey to a small diner 30 minutes outside of town. 

The diner is a hole-in-the-wall, somewhat seedy establishment that he discovered while he was in college. He used to pull all-nighters studying there because the place is open 24/7. Plus, they have the best french toast in town. 

The restaurant is mostly empty when they arrive; still, Ben guides Rey to a booth in the very back corner where they’re less likely to be seen or heard.

As soon as they sit down, she barrages him with questions. “Why do you act like someone is watching us? How come you don’t want to be seen with me? Who was that Hux guy at your office?”

Ben holds up one finger to silence her. He tells her the same thing he said on the car ride over, which is, “Food first.”

Rey huffs impatiently. As an act of defiance, she holds the large menu right up to her face, blocking her from view. Ben rolls his eyes but doesn’t comment. If she wants to act like a child, then so be it. 

A couple minutes later the waitress, a pretty red-headed woman, approaches them. “Y’all ready to order?” 

Ben smiles warmly at her; Rey snaps her menu shut. They both answer at the exact same time. 

“I’ll have the french toast—” 

“The french toast, please—”

They immediately glare at each other, which earns a chuckle from the waitress. “Two french toasts, got it. Anything to drink?”

This time, Ben waits for Rey to reply first. “Coffee, please.”

He can’t believe it— they have the _ exact same order _ . He considers ordering an orange juice just to be different, but he really, really needs the caffeine. “I’ll have a coffee as well.” 

The waitress laughs again. “Me and my sister always order the same thing at restaurants, too.”

Ben cringes at the assumption that they’re siblings. He supposes, given his and Rey’s age difference, that that would be a logical conclusion. However, before he can correct the waitress, she’s already turned around to take their ticket to the kitchen. Oh well. 

When he turns back to Rey, she seems even more annoyed than before. Her arms are crossed and her head is cocked to the side. 

She looks at Ben expectantly, waiting for him to say something—  _ what _ she wants him to say, he has no idea. 

They sit in awkward silence until the waitress returns with their coffees. When the woman hands Ben his coffee, her fingers accidentally touch the leather of his gloves, making Ben jerk back slightly. After so many months of trying to avoid his soulmate, it’s almost second-nature for him to shy away from touch now. 

He grins apologetically while Rey just glares until the woman retreats. 

_ Geez, what’s her problem?  _ Ben thinks.

As soon as the waitress is out of sight, Rey gets to work on pouring packets of sugar into her coffee. She stirs in four packets and then, as if that wasn’t enough, she also adds a couple shots of half and half.

“Sweet tooth?” Ben jokes. 

“Ha ha,” Rey laughs humorlessly. She takes a big gulp of her sugar-infused coffee while he takes a sip of his black coffee. Ben closes his eyes and savors the warmth it spreads throughout his body even if the brew isn’t particularly good.

Rey sets her mug down and levels him with one of her determined stares. He braces himself for whatever she’s about to say. 

“So, how come you don’t like me?” Rey asks, point-blank.

Ben snorts— of all the questions she could ask him,  _ that’s _ what she’s going with first? An automatic response bubbles from his lips, “Well, for one, you  _ broke into my fucking office _ .”

“Oh  _ please, _ I would hardly call it breaking in if I had a key. Besides, you were impressed I snuck in. I could tell.”

Ben chews on the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling— she’s not wrong, but he’d never admit to it. Rey licks her heart-shaped lips, momentarily distracting him.  _ Is she wearing lipstick, or are her lips naturally that pink? _

Clearing his throat, Ben replies, “What makes you think I don’t like you?”

She scoffs. “Oh, I don’t know,  _ everything _ ? I mean, you’d rather be violently ill than be matched with me, and you’ve been trying to get rid of me at every opportunity. Believe me, I’m not offended or anything; I just want to know  _ why. _ ”

Ben shakes his head, struggling to come up with an answer. Not because Rey is right, but because he doesn’t even know where to begin. When he takes too long to answer, Rey decides to prompt him. “Is it because I’m ugly? Poor? Not good enough for you?”

“No, no, Jesus. None of that,” Ben immediately responds. 

Rey seems to relax  infinitesimally , shoulders not quite as tense. Still, she presses him, “Then  _ why? _ ”

Even though Ben made sure they weren’t followed on the drive over, he glances around the diner anyway, making absolutely certain no one can hear their conversation. He lowers his voice to a whisper, “It’s not because I don’t like you. It’s because there are people out there who, if they found out about you, they would kill you.”

“Oh, come on,” Rey laughs, “You can’t expect me to actually believe that. What is this, a  _ James Bond  _ film?”

“I’m not joking, Rey.”

Her laughter slowly fades into a nervous chuckle. He can practically see the gears turning in her head, trying to come up with a rational explanation for why someone would want her dead. 

She frowns. “So, what, you have a jealous ex-girlfriend or something?”

“Not quite.”

The waitress chooses that moment to return with their dinner. Ben immediately sits up straighter— he didn’t realize he had been leaning over the table to talk to Rey. 

“Anything else I can get for y’all?” She asks, looking only at Ben. He shakes his head. 

“We’re good,” Rey replies rather testily. 

Once the woman strolls back to the kitchen, Ben lifts a curious eyebrow at Rey. “Has our waitress offended you?”

“What? No. She’s fine,” Rey mumbles. 

Though she’s clearly lying, Ben is too hungry to care. He shrugs and pulls his plate directly in front of him, mouth watering at the scent of cinnamon and butter wafting off his meal. It’s been years since he’s eaten here. 

He pours some syrup on his french toast, then adds sliced bananas on top. He doesn’t touch his side of strawberries— Ben loathes strawberries. 

By the time he finishes adding the toppings to his french toast, Rey is already halfway done with hers. She’s shovelling bite after bite into her mouth like someone is going to take it away from her; he’s never seen such a small person pack away so much food. 

Cheeks full, she hiccups loudly and doesn’t seem the least bit embarrassed by it. The girl is a force of nature. 

Ben is so entranced by her that he forgets he still needs to eat, too. Triple-checking to make sure no one is watching, he pulls off his leather gloves, grabs his fork and knife, and digs in. 

It tastes just as good as he remembers— warm, buttery, mouth-watering flavor. He should really come here more often. As he’s chewing, Rey pointedly looks at his uneaten cup of strawberries.

“Are you not gonna eat those?” She asks him in between bites. He shrugs and pushes the strawberries over to Rey’s side of the table.

“Be my guest. I hate strawberries.”

She gasps in faux offense. “Who hates  _ strawberries _ ? They’re easily the best fruit.” 

“The little seeds always get stuck in my teeth. They’re abhorrent.”

Rey gladly steals his strawberries and dumps them onto her almost-finished plate. “More for me.”

Ben chuckles and continues to eat until he notices that her side of sliced bananas is completely untouched. “Are  _ you  _ not going to eat your bananas?”

“Bleh, no way. I hate bananas. They’re all soft and mushy and taste like nothing.”

Grinning, Ben grabs her bananas and adds them to his plate instead. 

“More for me,” he winks.

They finish the rest of their meal in relative silence, too focused on food to have any sort of meaningful conversation. When she’s done, Rey licks each of her fingers individually, making Ben crack a smile. She has absolutely no manners, but it’s kind of endearing.

He’s about to make a snarky comment when he finally notices that her right hand— the one where her mark is supposed to be— looks completely bare. His eyebrows furrow. “What happened to your mark? I thought it trailed to your fingertip like mine.”

In response, Rey licks her thumb and rubs at her middle finger. After a few seconds of rubbing, the red mark reveals itself. 

“Makeup,” she grins proudly. Huh. Maybe he should give that a shot when he gets home— the leather gloves he’s been wearing are so cumbersome. 

The rest of her mark is still hidden by his jacket, but Ben gazes at the single red line that’s now visible as though mesmerized. He idly wonders why her mark is red and his is black; Amilyn told him she had never seen anything like it before. 

Without thinking, Ben slowly reaches his hand across the table. Rey meets him halfway, extending her hand until their middle fingers touch. He sucks in a gasp at the contact, and Rey does the same. It feels  _ electric. _

His whole world narrows down to just him and Rey. The restaurant, the food, Snoke, Hux… It all ceases to exist. All he sees is  _ Rey _ .

Is it normal for soulmates to feel an undercurrent of electricity when they touch? To feel like nothing else in the world matters besides each other? Ben doesn’t think so. 

He leans further across the table almost unconsciously, wanting to be closer to her. For every inch he takes, Rey moves an inch closer at the same time like gravity is working sideways. 

Soon, his finger— the one touching hers— begins to tingle. Ben’s eyes snap down to where they’re connected and his jaw drops. Where before he had a single black line on his finger, now there is a red line running parallel to the black. 

He looks at Rey’s finger and sees that hers has changed, too; a single black line is running parallel to her red. 

Their marks are  _ changing _ .

But that’s impossible. Soulmarks don’t  _ change _ . 

Ben waits for the newly created red line to travel up the rest of his hand, but it stops when it gets to his knuckle. Rey’s mark does the same. 

Before either of them can say anything, the clacking of shoes alerts them that the waitress is coming and they immediately pull away from each other. Ben frowns— he’s beginning to understand why Rey doesn’t like the waitress very much. 

“Can I get you any more refills on your coffee?” She asks, completely oblivious to her interruption.

“Er- no, we’re good. Thanks,” Ben replies. The waitress looks between Ben and Rey, eyebrows raised. She must  _ finally _ be able to sense the tension, because she slowly backs away like they’re wild animals about to attack. He doesn’t think she’ll be disturbing them anytime soon.

For once, Rey is uncharacteristically silent, examining her mark. Ben desperately wants to know what she’s thinking— did she feel their connection too? Why did their mark change? What does it all mean? 

After a couple of seconds, she shakes her head and gets that determined look on her face again. “Alright, we’ve eaten. Now tell me what’s going on.”

Ben sighs. He supposes he’s put this off for long enough. She deserves to know the truth, no more stalling. 

So, he tells her everything. 

He tells her about how he was hired to  _ The Chandrila Times _ right out of college and how he quickly became one of their lead investigative reporters. He tells her how he wrote under a pen name, Kylo Ren, because of how often he worked undercover.

(Rey’s eyes light up with recognition when he mentions his old pen name, but she doesn’t interrupt.)

He tells her about the article that landed him where he is today, that upended his entire life: his exposé on First Order Industries. Ben skims over the gory details— she doesn’t need to know specifics— and tells her the broad stroke of what happened. 

“I got in too deep— moved up through the ranks until I was in their inner circle. At that point, I already knew about the drug smuggling and money laundering, but I could tell there was more to the story. They kept it hidden from me until I… proved my loyalty.” Ben shudders. 

Rey’s eyebrows lift curiously, no doubt wondering what Ben did to prove his loyalty— but that’s a secret he’ll take to his grave. He shakes his head, rushing through the last bit of the story because he wants to get it over with.

“I’m sure you read my article— sex trafficking. That’s what they were doing. As soon as I found out, I left and contacted the police, but the leader, Snoke, was already long gone. He took my betrayal personally, and ever since then he’s made it his life’s mission to torment me.”

Letting out a shaky breath, Ben wrings his hands together. This next part is the hardest for him. 

“Snoke told me he was going to kill everyone I’ve ever loved. He killed my- my dad. And then my Uncle Luke and Uncle Lando… My mom had to go into witness protection. I haven’t seen or heard from her in years.” 

Ben can’t help but get a little emotional— it’s the first time he’s told anyone this story since he told Amilyn two years ago. All of his family is dead, he’s lost contact with his mom, and he rarely talks to his aunt lest they kill her, too.

He’s been so alone, too afraid to get close to anyone just to have them be killed. 

Swallowing dryly, he continues, “At one point, I got into contact with Snoke and asked why he wouldn’t just kill me. He said it was because I hadn’t  _ suffered _ enough yet.”

Rey clasps her hands together, knuckles turning white. Ben takes a sip of his now-cold coffee. 

He shrugs. “When it was clear he was no longer after me, I changed my name back to Ben Solo and started working at  _ The Coruscant Courier _ . It’s been two years, but I know he hasn’t forgotten. I think he’s been waiting for… well, for  _ you _ . My soulmate. He’s got some of his watch dogs guarding me— Hux, the redhead, is one of them. There are probably others, too.”

Setting his mug down, his eyes flicker to Rey’s for the first time since he started telling his story. He had been carefully avoiding eye contact with her, afraid of what he might see there. 

All of his suspicions are confirmed when he sees her angry expression. She must be mad at him— mad that he put her life in danger, mad that she will never get the true soulmate experience, mad that he ever got involved with a guy like Snoke in the first place.

His heart drops. This might really be the end— the last time he’ll ever see her. He pretends the thought doesn’t make him unbearably sad. 

She clears her throat. He holds his breath.

“So… This is all because some old guy has a vendetta against you?” 

Ben nods. Rey seems to contemplate him for a moment before resolve hardens her features. 

“Alright, then. How do we take this fucker down?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rey is ready to kick some ass
> 
> p.s. check out the latest tag for a spoiler of the next chapter 👀


	5. but you're spending the night with me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to the song "Good Little Girl" from Adventure Time
> 
> Beta’d by [Taz](https://twitter.com/Tazz224_)

“Rey, I don’t want you to be involved in this at all. It’s too dangerous.”

Ben’s knuckles are white on the steering wheel of his Audi as he drives Rey home from the diner. For the past 30 minutes she’s been trying to convince him that she can help take down Snoke, but Ben hasn’t budged. 

He continues, “Look, right now Snoke still doesn't know about you. I intend to keep it that way.”

Rey gives him an exasperated sigh. “So, what, you’re just going to live in fear for the rest of your life? All alone?”

Ben shifts uncomfortably in his seat. “I’ll do what I have to do.”

Honestly, he can’t believe that Rey actually  _ wants _ to be involved in all of this. He thought for sure that, once he told her the truth, she would never want to see him again. That she would want to get as far from him as humanly possible. 

Ben should’ve known better— the girl seems to jump at any opportunity to get herself into trouble. 

“ _ You _ may be fine with being alone for the rest of your life, but I’m not. You do realize we’re soulmates, right?”

Ben sighs. It’s not like he  _ wants _ to be alone, but he has to at least try to do what’s best for Rey— and what’s best for her is to stay away until he can take care of Snoke and the First Order himself. What kind of soulmate would he be if he willingly put her life in danger?

“We’ll figure something out.”

“Ugh!” Rey exclaims. “You are so…  _ infuriating.  _ You’re treating me like a child.”

“You _ are  _ a child,” Ben replies plainly. 

“I’m se-ven-teen,” Rey drawls, enunciating each syllable. “You really think the three months until I turn 18 will make any difference whatsoever?”

_ Probably not,  _ Ben admits. 

“I’m just trying to keep you safe.”

“Not this again. I already told you, I can take care of myself.”

Unable to think of a response, Ben turns the radio up, signaling the end of the conversation. He needs time to think. Annoyed, Rey folds her arms together and glares out the window. They stew in tense silence for the rest of the car ride until they finally pull up to Rey’s street. 

Ben struggles to keep a frown from forming on his face; Rey lives in a rough part of town. Broken street lamps, graffiti on the walls, dogs barking in the distance. It strikes him, then, just how much he doesn’t know about her. Amilyn told him that Rey had a tough home life, but he never got specifics. 

What do her parents do for a living? Do they take good care of her? Do they know that she’s found her soulmate? 

The car slows to a stop outside her dilapidated apartment building. Ben turns down the volume on the radio.

“Are you going to get in trouble for coming home so late?” He asks, guilt already starting to gnaw at his chest. He didn’t even  _ think _ about her family and how they would react. They must be worried sick.

“Huh?” Rey says, seemingly distracted by something over Ben’s shoulder. When his words finally click, she absentmindedly responds, “Uh, no. My foster dad works the night shift, so he doesn’t know or care, I’m sure.” 

Ben blinks a couple times, absorbing this new information:  _ Foster dad _ .  _ That would’ve been nice to know, Amilyn, _ he thinks bitterly. His frown deepens when he remembers how Rey ate in the diner— like someone was going to take the food away from her. 

If he finds out that she’s being neglected or abused, her foster dad will have hell to pay. 

Ben exhales slowly to cool down, not wanting to scare her with his intensity. ”Look, I’m sorry for being so difficult. I just don’t want you to get hurt and—”

“ _ Shut up! _ ” Rey whispers harshly. 

Ben raises his eyebrows, completely taken aback. “What?”

She’s frozen, staring intently at something behind him. 

“Do you see that?” She asks. 

Ben follows her line of sight to a black, unremarkable vehicle parked just up the street. It’s too dark out to see much, but Ben can make out two figures in the car, one much smaller than the other, staring at Rey’s apartment complex. His pulse quickens. 

“Do you know them?” Ben asks through clenched teeth. His hand is already moving to the joystick, putting it in reverse. 

“No,” she shakes her head, “That’s my neighbor’s parking space, but that’s definitely not my neighbor’s car.”

Ben swallows. He doesn’t dare make any sort of sudden movement for fear of being spotted; so far, they seem to have gone unnoticed. He chews his lip, trying to decide what to do. Maybe it's just a coincidence. Maybe they’re just a random couple out for a late-night drive. 

But then the figure in the driver’s seat shifts, allowing Ben a glimpse of his perfectly coiffed red hair in the moonlight.  _ Hux _ . 

Slowly, so they don’t draw attention to themselves, Ben does a u-turn and drives down the street the same way they came. He checks his rearview mirror— the car isn’t following them. That’s good. 

As soon as he makes it back to the main road undetected, Ben slams on the gas, aiming to get the girl as far from Hux as possible. Meanwhile, Rey is straining against her seatbelt like she wants to jump out of the car and run back. Ben covertly enacts the child locks on the doors. 

“Was that the guy from your office?” Rey asks, sounding a little breathless.

“Yes.”

“So that means Snoke knows about me now?”

“Most likely.”

Ben double checks the rearview mirror to make sure they’re not being followed— so far, so good. Still, he doesn’t ease up on the gas until they’re miles in the opposite direction. Rey falls silent, but he can practically  _ hear _ her thinking; it makes him nervous.

Once they’re back in the center of the city, Ben finally starts to relax. He glances at Rey; her left leg is bouncing and there’s a slight thrill in her eyes like she’s hopped up on adrenaline. 

“... Are you okay?” Ben asks.

She breaks into a full-fledged grin. “Am I  _ okay? _ That was fucking  _ awesome! _ That was the most fun I’ve had since Rose and I dressed up like men and snuck into our school’s secret underground fight club.”

“Why did you— you know what, I don't want to know.”

She continues, chattering excitedly, “And the way you drove, holy shit! Felt like I was in fucking  _ Mad Max _ or something. What were you going, 80? 90? Felt like 90.”

Ben flushes; he may have gone a bit overboard with the speeding, but he didn’t want anyone to follow them. 

“We could have died, you know,” Ben says, trying to impress upon her the severity of the situation. If Hux had noticed them, no doubt they would have ended up in some sort of dangerous car chase.

Of course, his scare tactics don’t work on Rey. In fact, it seems to excite her even more, eyes flashing with exhilaration. “I know! It’ll make a fantastic article for the newspaper; I’ll be winning awards left and right.”

“I’m so glad our imminent deaths will make a good  _ story _ for you.” Ben rolls his eyes good-naturedly. He can’t really be mad at her because he’s a journalist, too; he understands the thrill of finding a new story.

“Lighten up, Solo. By the way, where are we going?” She asks. 

Ben glances at the street signs for the first time since they started driving. Without meaning to, he’s been driving her in the direction of his apartment on the other side of the city. “We can go to my place—”

“No, that won’t work. If they’re watching my place then they’re probably watching yours, too.”

He curses under his breath. She’s right. But where else can they go? The only other place he can think of is Amilyn’s, but he strikes that thought down immediately. Ben has already put Rey in danger; he doesn’t want to risk putting his aunt in danger, too. 

Rey interrupts his thoughts. “There’s a hotel on the next corner. We can stay there.”

“No, no way,” Ben responds.  _ No way am I sharing a hotel room with a 17-year-old juvenile delinquent. _

“Do you have any better ideas?” 

He racks his brain trying to come up with something, but unless he wants to drive around aimlessly all night, staying at a hotel is their best bet.  _ It’ll be fine _ , Ben tells himself.  _ I’ll just make sure to get a room with two beds. _

Reluctantly, he pulls up to the hotel and Rey waggles her eyebrows at him. 

“So… Does this mean you’ll let me help you now?” 

Ben sighs. “Do I have any other choice?”

“Nope.”

“Fine, you can help.”

She squeals and throws her arms around his neck in a hug. “This is going to be  _ so _ fun.”

Ben blows out a puff of air.  _ It’s going to be a long night. _

  
  


***

  
  


Ben requested a room with two beds. No, not requested— he  _ insisted _ on a room with two beds. 

He made sure to tell the front desk agent on three separate occasions, just to make sure she heard him correctly. She nodded and said “of course” each time, but he doesn’t think she heard him at all. 

Because, when they get to their room, there's only one bed.

“How many times did I say  _ two _ beds? This is ridiculous— I’m going to head back down there and get us a different room,” Ben rants. But before he can turn around, Rey kicks off her shoes and plops down on the bed.

“Calm down, Solo. What, are you afraid you'll get  _ cooties _ ?” 

_ No, I’m afraid of what I’ll do if I’m that close to you,  _ Ben thinks. But, after mulling it over for a moment, he decides he’s too tired to go all the way downstairs and get them a new room. This will have to do. “Alright... but you stay on your side of the bed."

“Yes, sir,” she quips, giving him a mock salute. 

He rolls his eyes and sits down on a black leather armchair across from the bed. 

As soon as he sits down, Rey hops up from the bed and checks out the view from their window. Ben has to admit the view is nice— their room overlooks downtown Coruscant, with its skyscrapers and city lights flashing in the night. Rey presses her face right up against the glass, making Ben chuckle. 

“This is amazing,” she breathes, standing up on her tiptoes. 

The action draws Ben’s eyes to her calves, lean and athletic at the same time. His gaze trails up her legs, to her thighs, and then to the curve of her ass. Her jeans seem to hug her body in all the right places. 

“Beautiful,” Ben murmurs as though in a trance. Rey glances at him over her shoulder, giving him a soft smile that takes his breath away. It strikes him how beautiful Rey is— freckled skin, chestnut hair, fierce hazel eyes, and a devastating smile. He’s not sure how he found other women attractive before her. Everyone else pales in comparison.

“I forget how pretty the city is sometimes,” Rey says dreamily as she makes her way back to the bed. 

She sits cross-legged on the comforter, looking up at Ben through her lashes. She seems softer, somehow— less guarded. She examines him curiously, like she’s looking at him for the very first time. 

Ben wonders what Rey sees when she looks at him— does she notice his too-large nose? The moles that blemish his skin? Or maybe she spots a gray hair in his sea of black, another reminder of how much older he is than her. 

He clears his throat, interrupting her examination. A faint blush spreads across her cheeks.

“Alright, you got what you wanted: you can help me find Snoke. Now how exactly do you propose we find one of the richest, most powerful men in the country? And did I mention he’s on the FBI’s  _ Most Wanted  _ list?”

Rey scratches her chin in thought, seemingly unfazed. “Well, how did you get in contact with him last time?”

“My old assistant, Mitaka, was still in Snoke’s good graces. He was able to get me a phone call.”

“Great!” Rey cheers, “Let’s ask Mitaka to do it again.”

“Er— one problem. He mysteriously disappeared right after that.”

“Oh.” Rey’s face falls, and she goes back to brainstorming. “What about Hux?”

Ben chews on his lip. “That’s risky, but it might work. I could contact the FBI, then use myself as bait to lead them to Snoke.”

Rey considers the idea for a moment before shooting it down. “No, that’s too obvious— Snoke will know it’s a trap.”

“Well, what do  _ you _ think, then?”

She repositions herself on the bed so that her knees are touching her chest. Her eyebrows scrunch together. 

After a couple seconds she sits up straighter. “Well, if _you_ tried anything, Snoke would know it’s a trap… but he doesn’t know anything about me. I could use _myself_ as bait, and he wouldn’t see it coming.”

“No. Absolutely not,” Ben firmly replies. “I agreed you could help  _ plan _ , not get yourself killed.” 

“Just hear me out, okay? Hux is probably still watching my apartment— I’ll take some sort of tracking device, then go back to my apartment and get ‘kidnapped’ by him. He’ll lead you and the authorities right to Snoke’s doorstep. It’s perfect.”

“That’s assuming Hux doesn’t kill you on the spot.”

“You think he will?”

Ben rubs his hands over his face in frustration. “I don’t know, Rey. But I’m not willing to find out.”

The alarm clock on the bedside table beeps, making both Ben and Rey jump.  _ Holy shit, _ Ben thinks,  _ It’s already 9 p.m _ .

“Just think about it, okay?” Rey implores him. 

Ben pretends to consider her plan for a few seconds, resting his chin on his fist. Once he’s thoroughly acted the part, he answers, “Alright, I’ve thought about it. Still no.”

Rey glares at him but Ben just shrugs. He’s not going to offer up his soulmate like a lamb to slaughter, no matter what she says to convince him otherwise. 

“We can talk about it more in the morning,” she insists. 

“You really don’t know when to quit, do you?”

“Nope.” 

Deciding the conversation is over, Ben stands up, takes off his tie, and begins unbuttoning his dress shirt. 

“I’m going to take a shower. I have some gym clothes in my bag if you want to take a look; they’ll be big on you, but it’s gotta be more comfortable than sleeping in your jeans.”

Rey nods gratefully. Allowing her some privacy, Ben heads into the bathroom and turns on the water. He takes off his pants and boxer-briefs, then his shirt. When he’s completely naked in front of the mirror, he examines his soulmark. 

It looks exactly the same, save for the red line on his middle finger that he received at the diner. He wonders if the change has something to do with touch— maybe the more they touch, the more their marks will combine. 

But Ben has touched her a couple times since then— casual gestures, like helping her out of the car— and there hasn’t been a new mark. 

He shakes his head; he’ll worry about it more when they’re not being hunted by his evil former employer. 

Stepping into the shower, Ben immediately relaxes. The warm water runs over his skin, soothing his tense muscles. He didn’t realize he was so stressed until just now; the girl’s penchant for mischief is going to send him to an early grave.

But he’d be lying if he said he didn’t love that about her. 

As Ben scrubs his body clean, he can’t help but think about Rey. Her laugh, her smile, her tenacity… the way her ass looked in her jeans. He’s attracted to her, he can’t deny, but it’s about more than just her looks— he loves everything about her. 

Despite their bickering, they get along like nothing Ben has ever experienced before. She makes him laugh and she keeps him on his toes. He loves the way she eats like no one is watching and isn’t afraid to put him in his place when he’s being an ass. 

Maybe there’s something to this whole  _ soulmate _ thing after all.

Ben shampoos his hair with the hotel’s cheap travel-size bottles. Without meaning to, he begins to fantasize about Rey in an increasingly inappropriate manner. 

He imagines her at his apartment, cuddled up on the couch with him, watching a movie. He imagines holding hands with her and walking through the park. He imagines her bringing him lunch while he’s at work. 

He imagines her underneath him, moaning his name.

_ Shit _ , Ben curses. His dick is half-hard just thinking about it. He takes himself in hand and strokes until he’s fully hard, cock pointing up to his belly button. 

In the back of his mind, he knows this is wildly inappropriate. Rey is in the next room, separated only by the thin material of the hotel wall. But if he doesn’t take care of this now, sleeping will be next to impossible. 

Ben places one hand against the shower wall and touches himself to the thought of Rey. Would she be able to take all of him? Would she squirm and pant and beg for him to let her come? She’s so small he would almost be worried about breaking her.  _ Almost _ . 

He idly wonders if anyone has ever touched her before, or if he would be the first. Ben doesn’t care either way— he’s hardly a virgin himself— but he can’t deny that a sick thrill goes through him at the thought of being her first and last. 

Ben comes at the mental image of pushing into her wet heat for the first time. He groans as quietly as he can, cum shooting onto the shower wall in thick streams. He tugs on his cock, squeezing out every drop until he’s completely spent.

As he’s washing the cum off his hands, Ben can’t help but think it’s an awful waste— he’d much rather his cum be inside  _ Rey _ .

Now Ben knows he’s well and truly fucked. He had been trying to keep the girl at arm’s length, both for her safety and because she’s just so  _ young _ . But all of his good intentions might as well have gone down the drain along with his cum.

He doesn’t think he can stay away from her. He doesn’t think he  _ wants to _ anymore.

The only question is if Rey wants him back. Ben doesn’t want to pressure her— no, he’ll keep his distance until  _ she _ comes to  _ him _ . And if she doesn’t want him, then he’ll leave her alone. No matter how much his heart thumps in protest.

Resolved, Ben shuts off the shower and quickly dries himself off with a towel. Once he’s somewhat dry, he throws on a pair of basketball shorts that he stole from his gym bag and opens the bathroom door. 

“Rey?” He quietly calls. “Are you decent? I’m coming out.”

No answer. Ben walks into the main room and sees that Rey is curled up on the bed, already asleep. She’s wearing one of his baggy work-out shirts, knees tucked into her chest, hair splayed messily across her forehead.

Ben smiles softly. In sleep, her usually wary features are peaceful, inviting. Though Ben knows her height is average for a woman, she looks impossibly small curled up on the queen bed.

Without thinking, he brushes a tender finger across her forehead, moving the hair out of her eyes. Rey hums quietly in her sleep, startling Ben. He quickly moves to the other side of the bed, not wanting her to wake up with him hovering over her like a creep.

The events of the day finally catch up with Ben, yawning as he climbs into bed beside Rey. She smells nice— like fresh coffee and cinnamon rolls on a lazy Sunday morning. 

He falls asleep to the even rise and fall of her chest. 

  
  


***

Outside of Rey’s apartment complex, Rose Tico is sitting in the passenger seat of Armitage Hux’s black SUV.

“Where is she?” Hux asks for the hundredth time that night. 

“I don’t know— her phone must be dead or something. I can’t see her location.”

Hux presses his lips together. “Well you better hope she finds a charger soon.”   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uh oh
> 
> Follow me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/pleasereylo)


	6. what do you want from my world?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to innocentiia for the new moodboard! ❤️
> 
> Beta’d by [Taz](https://twitter.com/Tazz224_)

Apparently, how Rey initially falls asleep is not indicative of how she will be sleeping for the rest of the night. Ben learns this first-hand when he wakes up in the middle of the night to a delicate foot in his face. 

Rey may have started out peacefully curled into a tiny ball, but then she stretched her arms, rolled onto her stomach, and spread her legs like a starfish. 

Needless to say, she definitely broke his “stay on your side of the bed” rule.

Every time Ben tried to scoot away from her, she moved closer until he was nearly hanging off the edge of the bed. Eventually, he resigned himself to being her human pillow.

Currently, she’s lying on her stomach with her left leg tangled in between his, arm thrown carelessly over his bare chest. The shirt ( _his_ shirt) she wore to bed has ridden up her thighs, exposing her underwear and lower back. _Why_ she isn’t wearing pants, he’ll never know.

He dutifully peels his eyes away from her ass and stares at the ceiling, willing himself not to get hard. It’s an impossible endeavor, doomed from the start. Even with her sleep-tousled hair and drool-stained lips, he finds her unbearably adorable.

Without thinking, Ben presses a soft kiss to the top of her head. 

As soon as his lips make contact with her hair, he feels a telltale tingling in his left arm, just like he did at the diner. Sure enough, when he glances down, the red line amidst his network of black has extended past his knuckle and to his wrist. 

_How bizarre,_ Ben thinks. They’ve been inadvertently touching nearly all night, but _this_ is what caused their mark to grow— he wonders why. Experimentally, he kisses her forehead again, but nothing happens aside from Rey shifting closer to him.

She tucks herself underneath his chin and Ben sighs. 

He knows he should probably detach from her before she wakes up, but he doesn’t want to yet. She’s just so small and warm beside him; her presence is like the sunshine after an impossibly long winter.

So, Ben drifts back to sleep, inhaling her now-familiar scent of coffee and cinnamon. 

  
  


***

A few hours later, Ben jolts awake to the sound of Rey loudly cursing.

At first he thinks it has something to do with him— that he did something in his sleep to piss her off. He sits up in bed and rubs his tired eyes, trying to piece together what happened. 

Rey is frantically digging through her forgotten clothes on the floor, searching for something. She’s cursing and muttering the name of one of her friends, Rose. 

“What is it? Has something happened?” He asks. His eyes dart around the room, automatically looking for potential signs of danger. 

“I was supposed to call my best friend, Rose, last night. Oh my god, she must be worried sick,” Rey murmurs, digging through the pockets of her discarded jeans and jacket. Finally, she digs her phone out of Ben’s jacket pocket and holds it up triumphantly. “Yes! I turned it off last night before we left the _Courier_ to save battery, but then I forgot to turn it back on.”

Ben wearily rubs his face. She woke him up at— he checks the clock— _seven in the morning_ , just to text one of her friends. After the restless sleep he had last night, he can’t help but be a little grumpy. “The sun has barely risen. This couldn’t have waited an hour or two?”

“If I don’t get back to Rose right now, she’s going to kill me and then you.”

Rey turns on her phone, pacing the floor impatiently while it powers up. Ben rolls his eyes and shoves his head underneath his pillow, trying and failing to fall back asleep. 

Over the muffled sounds of the pillow, Ben hears Rey mutter a quiet _oh no_ . _That doesn’t sound good,_ he thinks. He reluctantly hops up from the warm bed and stalks toward her. “What is it? What’s wrong?” 

“Rose called me— she called me _sixteen_ times.”

Ben is admittedly out of touch with teenage girls, but he knows that 16 missed calls is certainly not normal. He hovers over Rey’s shoulder nervously, looking down at her phone while she scrolls through all her missed calls and text messages.

Ben and Rey read the messages from Rose at the same time. Each text gets more concerning as time goes on:

> How’s your super secret mission going?
> 
> _Hello????_
> 
> _Are u dead or smth_
> 
> _Please don’t make me avenge your murder_
> 
> _What are you doing back at The Coruscant Courier ?_
> 
> _If you don’t answer in 5 minutes I’m coming after you_
> 
> _Alright, don’t say I didn’t warn you._

The messages stop for an hour. Then, the last message reads:

> _He’s not who you think he is._

_What’s that supposed to mean?_ Ben thinks. Rose isn’t talking about _him_ is she? And why on Earth did she go to the _Courier_?

Ben stands in confused silence while Rey tries to call Rose. The phone rings for about a minute before going to voicemail. Rey curses and calls again with the same result. When Rose doesn’t answer for the third time, she begins furiously typing a response to her friend. 

Fed up with being in the dark, Ben finally demands, “What’s going on?”

Rey huffs impatiently. “Last night when I didn’t answer her text messages, Rose checked my location and followed me to the _Courier._ ”

Ben’s face pales. “What do you think happened— wait. You have each other’s locations?”

“Of course we do. We’re best friends.”

He shakes his head. “Right. Well, what do you think happened? We obviously didn’t see her at the _Courier_.”

“I don’t know— her location services have been turned off so I can’t see where she is.”

Ben can tell that Rey is beginning to panic. She’s wearing a trail into the carpet with her pacing, checking her phone every five seconds, and biting her fingernails. 

“What if something bad happened to her?” Rey thinks aloud. “What if Rose somehow had a run-in with Hux? Or what if she was taken by Snoke?” 

“Let’s not jump to conclusions—” Ben begins to say, but Rey is already picking up her clothes off the floor and shoving them into her bag.

“What are you doing?” He asks.

She doesn’t bother to look at him, just continues to gather all of her belongings as she answers, “What are _you_ doing? We have to go find Rose. Put on a shirt for God’s sake.”

Ben flushes red when he realizes he’s still shirtless. Oops. He quickly throws on his same dress shirt from yesterday.

“Rey, hold on for a minute. We don’t know where your friend is or what’s happened. For all we know, she could just be sleeping. Or maybe it’s a trap— maybe someone stole her phone and is trying to set us up.”

“And?”

“ _And_ , we should wait a few more hours to see if she gets back to us. I wouldn’t even know where to begin looking for her.”

Rey finally pauses, and he can tell that she knows he’s right. Still, there’s something holding her back. Unbidden, Ben remembers what Holdo said about Rey in her letter: “ _She is unfailingly kind and will always stand up for what's right, no matter the consequences.”_

_No matter the consequences._

Rey would willingly walk into a trap if it meant saving her best friend, he’s sure. 

Knowing he won’t be able to convince her to stay in their room and do nothing, Ben comes up with a compromise. “Alright, how about this: I’ll go grab us something to eat, and you stay here by the phone in case she calls. When we’re done eating, then we can go and look for her. Okay?”

Rey seems to like that option much better; she gives Ben a curt nod. “I suppose I will be able to think more clearly once I’ve got some food in me.”

He exhales slightly, relieved that she is no longer in full panic mode. “Okay, I’ll be right back, then. You’ll be okay here alone?”

“Of course.” 

“And you’re not going to sneak out while I’m gone?”

“Where would I even go?” 

“That’s not an answer,” Ben counters.

“What, you want me to swear a blood oath or something? I’m just going to take a shower. Nothing else, I promise.” 

Ben analyzes her features, looking for any trace of dishonesty. She still looks a little antsy, but not enough to make him think she’s a flight risk. He believes that Rey is telling the truth, that she’s not going to try and sneak off; but just because Rey isn’t _looking_ for trouble doesn’t mean trouble won't try to find _her._

“... Alright,” Ben finally replies. He’s still a bit reluctant to leave her alone, but then his stomach growls hungrily and Rey shoos him toward the door. What could possibly happen in 20 minutes while he goes to the nearest corner store, anyway?

Ben throws on some real pants and shoes, then, with his hand on the doorknob, he turns around to look at Rey. He pleads with her one last time, “ _Please_ don’t do anything stupid while I’m gone.”

“We’re on the 10th floor and I don’t even have _pants_ on— what trouble could I possibly get into?”

“If I know anything about you, it’s that you’ll find a way.”

She gives him an exasperated sigh. “You’re _almost_ as dramatic as Holdo. Just hurry up, okay? I’m hungry.”

With one final, parting glance, Ben exits the hotel room. 

  
  


***

  
  


The elevator dings as Ben makes it back to his and Rey’s floor. He’s carrying a drink holder with two coffees (one black, one filled with an inordinate amount of cream and sugar) and a paper sack of bagels and cream cheese.

He wasn’t sure what kind of bagel Rey liked, so he got a few different ones— cinnamon sugar, blueberry, everything, and plain. Ben secretly hopes she doesn’t take the cinnamon sugar bagel, because he’s been craving something sweet as of late. 

When the elevator doors open, dread fills his stomach as he hears a commotion coming from down the hall. It sounds like two or three different people arguing with their voices raised.

_Maybe, just_ maybe _, it’s somebody else’s delinquent of a soulmate. Maybe it’s not mine_ , Ben foolishly hopes.

His hopes are dashed when he turns the corner and sees Rey standing in the hallway with a towel wrapped around her abdomen— hair dripping with water— arguing with a petite black-haired girl and _Hux_.

Ben’s nostrils flare, vision flashing red. 

He sets down their breakfast and charges towards Hux; the only thought running through his head is _not her_. If Hux so much as laid a finger on Rey while he was gone, he’ll kill him. He might kill him regardless. 

“Get the fuck away from her,” Ben snarls.

Hux’s eyes widen as he notices Ben for the first time. He holds his hands up defensively, “It’s not what you think, Solo—”

But Ben doesn’t give him a chance to explain himself. He takes the redhead by the collar and shoves him against the wall. Right as he’s about to knock Hux’s teeth in, Rey grabs Ben by the shoulder, making him pause. 

Without loosening his grip on Hux, Ben glances at Rey. Water is dripping from her hair to her chest, droplets slowly rolling down the valley of her breasts. He takes a deep, steadying breath and asks, “You okay?”

(He probably should’ve asked that _before_ he accosted Hux. Too late now.)

“I’m _fine_ , Solo.” 

“Good. I’ll go easy on him, then.”

“No, don’t—”

Ben ignores her and returns his attention to Hux, who is surprisingly not attempting to fight back. Ben has his forearm pressed against the redhead’s throat— not hard enough to kill him or anything, but hard enough to make his face turn red. 

“Do something, Rey!” The black-haired girl squeals. 

Rey ducks underneath Ben’s arm and squeezes herself between him and Hux. Her face can’t be more than an inch away from his, breaths mingling. She places her palms against Ben’s chest and tries to force him to take a step back. He doesn’t budge. 

“Rey,” Ben asks through clenched teeth, “What are you doing?”

“Hux isn’t who you think he is. I had the same reaction at first, I get it— but just let them explain, okay?”

Ben looks down at her— her eyes are wide, pleading, and there’s a slight tremble to her bottom lip. For the first time, he thinks she looks a little… scared. More than anything, that’s what makes Ben stop. The last thing he wants is for her to be frightened of him. 

He drops his hands, allowing Hux to break away. The redhead immediately retreats to the black-haired girl and holds her hand. 

Even though they’re no longer being squished together, Rey doesn’t step away from Ben like he thought she would. Instead, she wraps her arms around his torso and buries her face into his chest. Ben struggles to control his breathing, heart pumping from adrenaline and now from Rey’s touch. 

After a couple seconds, he returns her embrace. He’s not quite sure _why_ she’s hugging him, but he’s not going to complain. Through the fabric of her thin towel, he can feel every contour of her body, the curve of her hips, the peak of her breasts. 

Ben tries not to focus on those things and instead focuses on the comforting feel of her skin against his. _She’s okay,_ he reassures himself.

His heart rate slows in time with hers and he can feel himself cooling down, thinking more rationally. Then, as he pulls her closer, he can feel the tingling in his hand once again. Ben and Rey both break apart and watch as the line on their mark grows past their wrists and to their elbows. Once it stops at their elbow, they make eye contact, a thousand questions burning in their gaze.

Before they can say anything, Hux clears his throat. Ben glares— he had almost forgotten the redhead was there. 

“While this is _quite_ touching, we’re on a bit of a timetable here. Shall we?” Hux gestures to their hotel room door, presumably to have them talk in a more private location.

Ben looks at Rey for confirmation, and she nods. Grudgingly, he opens the door and lets Hux and his companion in. Before Ben follows them into the room, he strides back down the hallway to grab his and Rey’s breakfast. She waits for him, holding the door open. 

“I was gone for 20 fucking minutes,” Ben grumbles at Rey.

She jerkily motions at her towel and wet hair. “You think I _wanted_ this to happen? They interrupted my perfectly good shower.”

“You’re a magnet for trouble.”

“So I’ve been told. Wait here, I’m going to put on some clothes.”

Ben waits outside the bathroom door for Rey to change. When she’s done, he hands Rey her coffee and they file into the main room together where Hux and the other girl are already waiting. 

Even though Rey said Hux is fine, Ben still watches him out of the corner of his eye, just in case. When they sit down— Rose and Hux on the bed, Rey in the armchair— Ben makes sure to angle himself between Rey and Hux.

Rey shivers slightly, so Ben grabs one of his jackets and drapes it over her shoulders. Once everyone is settled, he speaks. 

“Alright, I’m listening. You’ve got 30 seconds to explain before I kick you out.”

“Ben,” Rey admonishes. “This is my best friend, Rose. Hux is her… soulmate.”

Rey scrunches her nose in distaste when she says the word ‘soulmate,’ clearly not a fan. Ben has to agree. She takes a sip of coffee to disguise her expression. 

“Rose, the same Rose we were about to file a missing persons report for half an hour ago?”

“Yes.”

Ben raises his eyebrows, waiting for someone to elaborate. Finally, Rose speaks up, “I went to the Courier last night after Rey didn’t respond to my messages. The place was already empty, no cars in the parking lot, so I decided to check Rey’s apartment instead. That’s where I ran into Hux…”

“Because you were stalking my soulmate,” Ben accuses, glaring right at Hux.

“I wasn’t stalking her, I was on _protection detail_ , you oaf.”

“... Protection detail?”

Hux exhales slowly and explains his side of the story. Apparently, he’s working undercover for the FBI to try and find Snoke— he’s a double agent, a spy, just like Ben was. Except Hux is _still_ undercover.

“Snoke assigned me to keep an eye on you, to report back if you were acting suspicious or if you had found your soulmate. I’ve been feeding him false leads for months now.”

Ben shakes his head in disbelief— it’s hard for him to process that the man he thought was his enemy for so long is actually an ally.

“How did you find out about Rey?” Ben asks. 

“Well, you had been acting weird ever since that tour group came by on Monday,” Hux replies. “But I wasn’t sure about anything… Until Bazine apparently had a run-in with Rey yesterday.”

Ben fixes his gaze on Rey and lifts an eyebrow. She grimaces. “How was I supposed to know she was working for Snoke?”

“Jesus, Rey. I thought you said you didn’t run into anyone on your way up?”

“I didn’t think it was important at the time…”

He pinches the bridge of his nose. If Snoke doesn’t kill this girl, Ben just might. 

Hux continues, “As soon as Baz ran into Rey, she talked with Phasma and was able to figure out Rey’s name. You two ought to thank your lucky stars they alerted _me_ first and not Snoke; I was able to convince them to back off until we knew anything for sure.”

So, Snoke doesn’t know about Rey. Yet. That’s somewhat of a relief, but if Bazine and Phasma know, then it’s only a matter of time before he knows, too. Ben internally curses— he had always suspected they were moles, but he could never prove it. He should’ve been more careful. 

“Why are you telling us this now?” Ben asks. “Why didn’t you tell me you were a spy _months_ ago? We could’ve worked together.”

“I didn’t want to blow my cover. The only reason I’m telling you now is because Rose made me.”

“Yep, because unlike _some_ people,” Rose scowls at Rey, “I would never lie to my best friend.” 

Rey rolls her eyes. “And now we’re all caught up; this is when you interrupted us, Solo. Rose and I were arguing in the hallway because I was trying to explain to her that I _had no other choice_ —”

“There’s _always_ another choice—”

Ben holds up a hand to silence them both. He has no patience for this right now. Earlier, Hux said they were on a timetable and he wants to know why. Cutting to the chase, Ben asks, “Alright, you told us the truth. So what’s next?”

Rey sits up in her chair at Ben’s question, eagerly awaiting new information. 

Hux bites his lip. 

“Well, I have a plan. But I don’t think you’re going to like it.”

Dread sinks into Ben’s stomach. Nothing is ever easy, is it? 

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

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